Getting started: the roadmap to creating a first VN

[Codexus]

Hey guys,

A while ago I discovered renpy and this forum and I thought it might be fun to try to make a visual novel. But before I could even get started, other things including studying Japanese and a new full-time job took precedence and I kind of forgot about it. But the other day I saw a screenshot of Novelty on gamedev.net and I suddenly remembered this idea.

Making a full VN isn't an easy task. They are a type of game that relies on a lot of content and content-based game are always difficult for a hobby project since they can take a lot of time to make.

So to avoid being overwhelmed by a huge project that I'll be too afraid to even start, I've decided to establish a roadmap of smaller steps. At each step I'll be able to see how things are going and get a better idea on how to do the next step and maybe even get some feedback.

So here is my master plan to world domination:

0) Testing the tools
I'm probably going to use renpy but maybe I'll try Novelty. I don't want to spend too much time on the technical side of things and even though I'm a programmer, I don't think I want to spend time on my own custom engine as I'd rather spend my time working on the artistic side.

1) The First Step
1 Character, 1 BG, 1 Music, 1 Dialog, 1 CG, basically one of everything. Basically I'll be trying to do each of the things I'll need to do for a VN and see how it goes.

2) The First Chapter
Now I'll try to apply what I have learned to start making something that resembles a game. It's still going to be small scale. Maybe 2-3 characters, only a few locations and very short.

3) The First Game
At this point I'll start aiming at something that can be called a game. I'm not sure exactly what kind of goals to set for this part yet. The whole point of the previous steps is to find that out.

4) Take over the world!

Anyway, that's the plan and I'll post updates in this thread. Your comments are welcome!

[Guest]

It's good to see that you have a plan. At least, you know where you're gonna walk. I didn't make any plan for my first vn, so it was really... Ah, the point is, I hope you'll do a lot better.

Umm...so which one you're gonna use? Ren'Py or Novelty?

[oiseau]

Yeah, it's good that you're taking things one step at a time instead of starting with some overly ambitious leap that'll land your project into a black hole. Are you going to let us in on every detail of your project at every step as you go along? It's always nice to see how others go through the game development process and see how they get over similar struggles or avoid them entirely.

Good luck making your visual novel.

[Codexus]

Umm...so which one you're gonna use? Ren'Py or Novelty?

Ren'Py. After doing some more research it has become clear it's the right choice for me. It's open-source and based on Python and Pygame. I really like the Python language and I've used Pygame before so that makes it easy for me to customize Ren'Py or add mini-games if I need to. So basically I know that with Ren'Py, no matter what, I'll never get stuck due to limitations in the engine. Novelty looks really nice but doesn't seem to be such a good match for me. Also Novelty isn't cross-platform.

Are you going to let us in on every detail of your project at every step as you go along? It's always nice to see how others go through the game development process and see how they get over similar struggles or avoid them entirely.

Well, maybe not every detail but I hope to post some updates along the way. It may take some time, though...